What was once a taboo, unspoken about subject is now a more common form of sex with 36% of woman and 44% of men aged between 25-44 years have anal sex.  So maybe you’re thinking about trying it out for the first time or you’ve tried it before but feel you could learn a bit more before going in for seconds. Here’s a few things you should know about anal sex.

Don’t believe everything you’ve seen in movies or porn. They make it look so easy and effortless but behind the scenes, they’ve done major pre prep! As the anus does not self-lubricate, the way the vagina does. This form of sex is way more high maintenance than others. You’ll need a lot of lube, and I mean a lot! You’ll also need to come up with some sort of a pre anal hygiene routine to ensure no unwanted accidents occur!

EXPERIMENT ON YOURSELF FIRST

Consider trying anal play on yourself first and figure out what you enjoy. Try lubbing up your finger and gently massaging the area before slipping a finger or two in. Once you’re comfortable you could try inserting a small butt plug which could later lead to a larger sized toy. If you are experimenting with your partner now would be a good time to test the waters and allow him to insert his penis slowly. Getting the head in is going to be the most painful part as it is the largest part of the penis but once you’ve got past the hard part, pun very much intended. You should be smooth sailing from there on out.

HYGIENE

I suggest setting up a pre anal hygiene routine. Go to the bathroom half an hour to an hour before you plan on doing anal. Empty your bowels and clean all around the anal area with warm water and soap. If you are looking to be extra clean, you could try doing an enema 1 to 2 hours before anal. Use a couple cups of warm water to clean out 15-20cm of your rectum, be careful of using too much water as you could make things even messier.

WHO WILL YOU BE TRYING ANAL WITH?

If you are a first timer and feeling nervous, I suggest you ask yourself, who are you doing anal with? Are you comfortable with the person? Because if you are not comfortable you may put yourself in an extremely awkward situation. So, try it with someone you’ve slept with before and you are already familiar with each other’s bodies and what each other enjoy sexually.

LUBE

Lube is one of the most important parts of anal. As the anus does not produce enough natural lubricants you should use an artificial water-based lubricant to ensure ultimate comfortability and pleasure.

CONDOMS

Now you may think condoms are not necessary for anal sex, you are wrong. There are all sorts of bacteria and infections in the anus, and you are at an even higher risk of contracting diseases than you are from vaginal sex. Especially in woman as the skin and tissue around the anus is more fragile and can easily tear, leading to infection and bacteria. Unprotected anal sex can lead to all kinds of sexually transmitted infections, namely HIV, herpes, syphilis, hepatitis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.

LET THE RECEIVER GUIDE PENETRATION

I suggest the receiver guides penetration as they will know their limits and when to stop. Start with very slow gentle penetrations and work your way up to a faster pace as you feel more comfortable.

WHAT POSITIONS SHOULD YOU TRY?

There are many great positions you could try but many people say that missionary, doggy-style or lying on their back hurts the least. But I suggest trying a few positions and experimenting with your boundaries.

IF IT HURTS, STOP

If you start to feel more pain than pleasure, stop. You could cause harm to your body, although rare, there is still a chance. The tissue around the anus is very fragile and delicate and could tear very easily.

DON’T BE ALARMED BY NOISES

Accept the fact that anal sex is just that, anal sex. so, it is only natural that all sorts of funny noises will come out of you, and it is completely normal.

DON’T DOUBLE DIP

Although you may be tempted to go straight from anus to vagina, I would not suggest that. Bacteria found in the stool can be spread to the vagina and cause infections such as yeast infections and more. Before bouncing between the two, clean up first. Wash the penis, toy, or finger before going from anus to vagina to ensure no bacteria is spread.

GO THE BATHROOM WHEN YOU’RE DONE

Just like after vaginal sex, you should use the bathroom to help flush bacteria out of the urethra and thereby reduce the risk of UTI’s. Same should apply for anal sex, as any bacteria surrounding the anus could be transferred to the vagina. And chances are, you’ll probably need the bathroom when you’re done anyway!

Anal sex can be extremely fun and exciting and if its anything less than that, that’s okay too!